100mm f/2.8 USM macro. I love macro, this is my favorite lens. Great sharpness and bokeh.

And in the future...

I'm likely to get the 28mm f/1.8 for indoor group shots, but I dream about either the ZE 21mm, or the Canon 24mm f/1.4L.

I'd like the 85mm f/1.8 (I value compactness over speed at times).

Every now and then I want more reach for macro, so the 180 macro would be great.

I'd love a 500mm f/4, but I value domestic tranquility and not sleeping in the doghouse. For now, the 100-400 does the trick.

The reality and the wishlist are somewhat different.

Obviously, the primes have their place, but I do most of my work with zooms. I came from the era of old film bodies, where primes were pretty much the only option, quality-wise. Good zooms were rare back in the day. Now there are many good zooms (and a few truly outstanding ones), so until I have a specific need, I use a zoom.

Dream:..any of the super new light tele lenses...400mm 2.8L IS etc....

My sharpest lens I think is the 100mm Macro..amazing.Also...when it comes to sharp...I have a 70-200mm 2.8L IS II..now..gotta say (never thought I would)..that bad boy is like shooting with a prime...A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. lens...not good for bokeh..but damn is it sharp.

Dream:..any of the super new light tele lenses...400mm 2.8L IS etc....

My sharpest lens I think is the 100mm Macro..amazing.Also...when it comes to sharp...I have a 70-200mm 2.8L IS II..now..gotta say (never thought I would)..that bad boy is like shooting with a prime...A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. lens...not good for bokeh..but damn is it sharp.

It is all great fun..with or without!!!!!!!!

I thought that the 70-200 f/2.8 was beautiful, it seemed like you didn't even have to stop down too much to get very shallow DOF, even at f/8 it looked pretty damn blurry. Then again I guess compared to the macro it may not be as blurry.

well...yeah... the new zoom gets blurry in the background..especially at 2.8 @ 200mm...BUT...it is NOTHING like the nice soft, creamy, bokehliscious smear your get from the 85mm f/1.2L II wide open...I seems that whatever makes that new 70-200 zoom so sharp also makes the bokeh kind of nervous and edgy....not as soft. ...Again..you don't know that until you compare it....but it is a pretty extreme difference even @ f/1.4..the background softness of the 85mm compared to that zoom. Different eggs.The backgrounds with my Sigma are pretty nice too wide open...definitely.Of course a lot of factors enter in here, like closeness to subject, etc...which affects all of the above.

lbloom

Hi all, i currently own a canon 50mm f1.8.. It feels more like a toy but i love it as it produces excellent images. However, there are a few prime lenses that i wish to have such as:

50mm f1.4 - an upgrade from the f1.824mm f1.4 L ii - for group or landscape

Yes, some of us prefer zoom lenses due to several factors such as versatility or maybe even economically - a factor that i really focus on

Please share what prime lenses you currently own and why you love them and what are the lenses you would like to have... it would greatly help me to understand more about the power of prime lenses

Thanks!

I own the 24mm f/1.4 L II and the 50mm f/1.4 (and the 85mm L II) and I use the 5DII.

The 24mm length is not good for portraits but it is wonderful for large groups and landscapes as it is very sharp. This is my favorite lens because of the quality of the images it produces. It is also very well built but a bit heavy...

The 50mm f/1.4 is a great lens. It is lightweight, small and sharp above f/2 (roughly). I don't use it much wide open as it gets quite soft, but it is very sharp stopped down. A great lens for the money. The 50mm L version certainly has superior bokeh.

I, too, love primes for their speed and IQ. I decided to learn on primes from day one because they are more my style, though zooms certainly have their uses. I think investing in primes is a great decision.

My wish list would be a macro lens (100mmL) to take shots of my children's smaller features. And possibly the 70-200 f/2.8 IS II USM for events. I rented this lens and although I was a little preoccupied by the zoom function, the shots were amazing!

Like I said, the 24mmL II continues to impress me combined with the 5DII.